With domestic campaigns across Europe coming to an end, clubs are now focusing on next season by planning who to buy and sell from their squad this summer.

On Thursday, the transfer window officially opened in England - allowing teams to properly begin their business.

Sportsmail takes a look at what is in store for English sides and those across the continent.

When is the transfer window open?

The transfer window on these shores opened just after midnight on Thursday (May 16) and it will remain so until 5pm on Thursday, August 8 - just before the 2019-20 Premier League starts.

Domestic transfers can be completed from midnight on May 16 but transfers from abroad can only be finalised once the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) opens at midnight on June 9.

In France, the transfer window will open on June 11. In Italy and Germany it will be on July 1 and in Spain it will be a day later on July 2.

Pep Guardiola will be looking to strengthen his Manchester City side after winning the title

Can UK clubs sign any player immediately?

As stated above, that is not possible with international deals due to FIFA's Transfer Matching System. As the Premier League website states: 'When there is an international transfer, the buying and selling clubs have to register it on FIFA's Transfer Matching System (TMS) in order for international clearance to be generated.

'The buying club have to upload all the information to the system and the foreign club have to match all the details.

'Our FA will request clearance and, as long everything matches, the foreign association will issue clearance to the FA, who then informs the club and League.

'The Premier League receives a copy because we need to ensure that players coming in have had their registration transferred to this country, or Wales in the case of Welsh clubs, such as Cardiff City.'

As a consequence, only deals between clubs in England can happen until TMS is open on June 9.

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale (left) has been linked with a move back to the Premier League this summer but he couldn't be signed by an English club until June 9 due to FIFA's TMS

When does the transfer window close?

As mentioned in the first section the transfer window in the Premier League shuts at 5pm on Thursday, August 8.

England's top-flight operates differently to its four other big European domestic leagues (France, Germany, Italy and Spain). Something that came into practice for the first time last season, Premier League sides agreed to shut it early as managers had complained that signing players once the season was under way caused disruption to preparations.

In previous years the window had closed on August 31.

Italy's Serie A window this summer will shut on August 25, while France's Ligue 1, Germany's Bundesliga and Spain's La Liga close on September 2. This means that English clubs remain vulnerable to selling their stars abroad after their window shuts and not being able to replace them.

Barcelona and fellow Spanish clubs will be able to sign players up until September 2

Does this apply for Football League clubs too?

The Premier League's self-imposed dates doesn't stretch down to the lower tiers of English football as the EFL has voted to mirror the closing date and time for the summer window for clubs in the Championship only.

This means that clubs in the Premier League and Championship still have the ability to sell or loan players to League One and Two teams - as their window will be open until 5pm on September 2.

League One outfit Gillingham will be able to sign players up until 5pm on September 2